


Rehabilitation

by writings_of_bored_gal



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Love Stories, Love/Hate, Slow Burn, Wakanda (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-08 14:05:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15931988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writings_of_bored_gal/pseuds/writings_of_bored_gal
Summary: Steve ask Y/N to go to Wakanda to help rehabilitate Bucky, but in the end she finds herslef being saved by him as much as she is a saving him.





	1. Chapter 1

The coffee shop was almost completely empty, the last few stragglers leaving as she cleaned the tables up after them. The summer meant that there were still tourists coming to visit the small seaside town rather than just the usual old women who came in for their daily natter.

She hadn’t planned on working in a coffee shop for this long in the South of England. She’d wanted to travel, but she didn’t get the chances that she’d expected after university and ended up working there to try and save up. She looked over at the half empty tip jar on the counter, with barely enough to get her to London, let alone any further. 

Once everyone had finally left, she turned the sign in the window from open to closed and sat. The air was cool and the rain pattered against the windows. She went to the back of the store, throwing her cardigan over her shoulders. Her brows furrowed as the bell signalled someone else entering the cafe. 

“I’m sorry, we’re actually closed.” She shouted, hanging up her apron and grabbing the keys, ready to go home and put her feet up at last. 

“C’mon Y/N, you know you’ve got a spare slice of cheesecake for me.” A familiar voice shouted back. She grinned, running in and throwing her arms around Steve Rogers huge frame. 

“I might do if I hadn’t seen your name all over the news.” She raised her eyebrows at him as she pulled away, but he wouldn’t look her in the eye. She sighed. “Sit down, I’m pretty sure we’ve got some left over in the back.” 

She heard the sound of a solitary chair scraping the floor as Steve sat down. She went behind the counter to find two pieces of New York style cheesecake in the fridge. She smiled, pulling out a fork for each of them and taking them back over to where he waited quietly, typing something to someone on his phone. He stopped, putting it away when she sat down opposite him, tucking into the cheesecake almost straight away. 

They ate in silence, something which they never did. They always had something to share with one another, but something stopped them this time. 

She had been a tourist in New York when the attack had occurred. It was her first time leaving England, and she had been completely enchanted by the place until the aliens decided to ruin her holiday. She’d gotten away fairly lucky, just a broken leg, but it meant that she was stuck in America for longer than expected. The Avengers came to visit the hospital she was staying in, and she got on so well with Steve that she gave him her number so he could call her if he was ever in England, which he was surprisingly often.

For Steve, she was his break from being a ‘hero’. She never expected anything from him apart from phone calls to tell her he was okay and the occasional visit. It made him feel normal. No one in her little town really knew who he was apart from the occasional old man who would give him a salute. Her life was simple, and simple was something Steve missed.

“I need to ask you something, you can say no, but…” Steve pushed away his plate and leaned forward. His steely blue eyes met hers and she knew she wouldn’t be able to say no, no matter what he was about to ask her. “I have a friend, in Wakanda, he’s kind of unsteady and I think you might be able to help him.”

“Help him, how?” 

“Just by being there. You’re like a breath of fresh air, you’re not a part of the chaos everyone else I know is.”

“You mean I’m normal.” She smirked. Steve laughed, the tension leaving his body as he slumped back and relaxed. 

“We all need some normality, Y/N, but this would be something huge for you. A complete change.” He watched her as she looked around the cafe. It was still raining outside, leaving everything looking grey. She’d been stuck there for four years. It was time to get the hell out. 

“I’m in.” She said, offering Steve her hand. 

“You’re sure?” He said. She nodded and he took her hand firmly. “We leave in two days.”   
__________________

The next day she handed in her notice. Steve text her the details, saying he would pick her up at 4 the day after to go to the jet. she packed her things, some jewellery and clothes. She googled Wakanda, reading up on everything she could find until she fell asleep on her computer desk. 

Steve picked her up as he had promised he would. They rode to the airfield making easy conversation. She hushed when she saw the quinjet, unlike any aircraft she’d ever seen before. Steve watched her out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself. He pulled up the car to where Natasha and Sam were waiting. They wore black combat suits, ready for a fight that could be lurking around every corner. She stood out in comparison to them, in her jeans and pink cardigan. Steve wrapped his arm around her shoulder protectively as they approached.

“Sam, Nat, this is Y/N.” Steve said, before pointedly saying to Sam, “Be nice.”

“I’m always nice.” Sam winked and shook her hand. Natasha remained quiet, but shook her hand all the same. 

They got into the jet and everyone took up their position as though they’d done it a million times before. They probably have done this a million times, I’m the only one who hasn’t, she told herself. She took a seat towards the back, staying quiet and out of the way whilst everyone moved and bustled around her. 

Someone came and sat down next to her. She was surprised to look up and see Sam. He offered her a bottle of water, which she took gratefully. 

“It’s weird, doing this for the first time, but you’ll get used to it.” He tried to reassure her. “How much has Steve told you?”

“Not a lot, if I’m honest. All I know is I’m going to Wakanda and I’m going to be helping a friend of Steve’s.” She shrugged. 

Same whistled. “You ever heard of James Buchanan Barnes, also know as the ‘Winter Solider’?” He watched as her eyes widened and she nodded. 

“That’s who I’m supposed to be helping out? What- I mean- how-“ She stammered, trying to comprehend what Sam was saying. She saw things said about him on the news, but that was almost six months ago now. She thought he was missing.

“He’s been frozen, the way Steve was, for the last few months.” Sam explained “He came out two weeks ago, but he’s only talking to Steve at the moment, and a couple of doctors. He thinks that if you go, then maybe he’ll start opening up again, back to how he was before he was brainwashed.” She put her head in her hands and Sam chuckled. “Hey, as long as you like goats you’ll be fine.” 

“Goats?” 

“Sam!” Steve called from the front, making the pair laugh. “Can you please not put her off before she’s even met him?” 

“Sure thing, boss.” Sam shouted back. “You should probably try and get some sleep before we land, I’ll leave you in peace.”

“Thanks Sam.” She smiled at him, which he returned. She closed her eyes, but her thoughts were racing. She’d learned about Barnes in history class, the war hero who sacrificed himself, but she’d also seen the Winter Soldier on the news, the world’s deadliest assassin. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake.   
__________________

They landed outside of the palace. She recognised it from the pictures on Wikipedia. Steve walked ahead, greeting T’Challa first. She stayed behind with Sam who watched, wondering whether her eyes would pop out of her head if they got any wider. She knew she was probably meant to be paying attention to the king, but she couldn’t help but look past him for a sign of Bucky. 

“This is my good friend Y/N Y/LN,” When Steve said her name, it brought her out of her trance. He gestured for her to come forward, but her legs didn’t want to moved, so Sam kindly pushed her until she met Steve’s arm. “She’s here for Bucky.” 

“That white boy needs all the help he can get.” A voice from behind T’Challa chided, making Steve laugh. A young girl was grinning mischievously at her. 

“Shuri please.” T’Challa scolded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.” 

“You too, your highness.” She blushed. Steve squeezed her arm, but she wasn’t feeling very reassured. They all turned and began walking away. she continued to cling to Steve as they made their way through the palace, people filtering out of the party until it was just T’Challa, Steve, Sam, Natasha and her. They came out into an open field. There were some children running around and quite a few goats. She glanced over her shoulder to Sam whose shoulders were already shaking with laughter. 

They finally approached two huts in the middle of the field. She realised that one of them was meant for her. She gripped Steve’s arm hard and he winced. Maybe asking her to do this wasn’t his best idea. She looked terrified. 

“You alright?” He whispered into her hair. She nodded, entering the hut after Natasha. Inside it was much cosier, with a fairly comfortable looking bed and small stove. Natasha placed her bag on the bed for her. 

No one else had come inside. She looked around and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. 

“If you can’t do this, Steve’s back here every few weeks, he’ll understand it’s difficult.” Natasha told her, getting up and leading the way back out of the hut. She wasn’t going to give up on this. She just had to find her sense of adventure back. 

T’Challa and Sam had made their way back up to the palace. Steve stood outside with Bucky. When she first laid eyes on the solider, her heart seemed to stop. He was cleaner and more polished than she thought he would be. He was wearing a scarf over one shoulder, hiding where his arm was missing. She felt the blush rise to her face. 

She tried to gage what he thought of her, but his face was hard to read. Steve said something to him that she couldn’t hear and he raised his eyebrows. She thought of how she must look, having flown for hours and sweating in her jeans in the hot weather. She hadn’t even readjusted her ponytail. 

She plucked up the courage to smile at him, but he didn’t return the gesture. She looked to Steve who shrugged a little. 

“Y/N, this is James Barnes, or Bucky.” Steve said. Bucky offered her his hand which she took gratefully. 

“It’s lovely to meet you.” She said. He smiled a little in response but didn’t say anything. “Would you mind if I went to freshen up?” She asked. Bucky simply gestured to a shower block behind the hut that she decided to take as a yes. “Thank you.”

She let the cool water run over her skin. It was funny how a shower could make her feel so much better. 

When she got out in her towel, she saw the sunset over the lake. Steve had left, but Bucky’s silhouette was outlined against the orange sky. She made her way quietly into her hut to find a note from Steve. 

Sorry I couldn’t say bye, something came up. I’ll be back in about two weeks though. 

Just be yourself, it’s the best thing you can do for him, Y/N, I promise. You’re best adjusting to this yourself tonight, go to Bucky in the morning after his checkup at 11. 

If you need anything, ask T’Challa or Buck. 

Steve

PS- I left you a cake in the cupboard above the stove.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few weeks now, and her and Bucky had their own routine. She’d wake up with him at sunrise and make breakfast whilst he went off somewhere with the goats, sometimes bringing back milk. He’d then go off for a therapy session and she’d sit and read whilst waiting for him. The sessions could be anywhere from an hour to three, so she tried to keep herself busy while waiting. Bucky would then come back and go down to the water where she realised she was not welcome to follow after she received a death glare when she tried to follow him during her first few days. They’d then have dinner together before going to bed. 

He still didn’t talk to her. She had come to the conclusion that he would when he was ready. For the first week or so, she would keep trying to start up a conversation about anything; Steve, Wakanda, fishing? She had no idea what to say to him and when her only response was ever an eyebrow raise, she gave up. 

Talking to people is what she had always been good at, so why was Bucky so much harder for her to crack? Steve had seemed so confident in her. She hated to let him down. The thought of his stupid puppy dog eyes being upset with her for not sticking this through was the one thing that kept her there. He texted her every night to make sure she was okay and that Bucky was. Every night she sent the same thing back, “Everything’s fine, stop worrying. Stay safe x”. 

That day had been the same as every other, but for some reason, she had decided to stay out for just five minutes longer. Bucky had gone to bed and she found herself walking to the water’s edge. 

She wasn’t sure why, but the presence of water always seemed to calm her. Her dad used to joke to her it was because she was a lost mermaid, which she’d believed until she was six and realised that mermaids weren’t real. She still loved the water though. She could always count on the feeling of waves against her skin to comfort her when nothing else seemed to. 

She felt a warm breeze on her bare shoulders and she took a deep breath. She could see why he liked it down there so much. It was peaceful. She got closer to the water, letting her feet dip, letting the cool sensation intoxicate her. The hot weather hadn’t bothered her too much, but it was moments like this when she missed the chilly ocean wind she had in England. 

The thought of her home, caught her off guard. She hadn’t thought about it too much since leaving, but she realised now she missed the conversations with the locals and the tourists in the cafe. She missed her mum and dad. She missed going on dates and hearing the seagulls first thing in the morning. She realised that all of these thoughts, all of these little things that she ached for, she had tried to push away. 

Now that they had all flooded back into her consciousness, she felt awful, the weight of loneliness and homesickness making her feel the need to collapse. She sat in the water, her dress floating around her crossed legs as she let herself weep. Her tears dripped into the water and she sniffed loudly and unapologetically. 

“Y/N?” She froze at the sound of her name. She thought that she had been alone. “Y/N, are… are you alright?” 

Bucky’s voice was soft and deep and full of uncertainty. She slowly turned her head to see the soldier wearing baggy pyjama pants and the piece of fabric that covered his shoulder. His hair was in a bun, which threw her off almost as much as the concern that laced his eyes as he watched her. 

She didn’t feel like talking to him. He hadn’t graced her with talking until now. Instead she shrugged her shoulders and awkwardly tried to wipe her running nose with the back of her hand as she turned back to face the water. He was trying to be kind now, but that didn’t explain why he’d been such a silent dickhead for the past few weeks. 

Bucky stood and watched her for a moment more before walking over where she sat. He kept his distance, but he was on level with her in the water. She must have heard him coming, but she didn’t bother to look at him. 

“Y/N, I’m sorry.” He began. This made her look over to him, her head moving just a hair, but he could see her eyes now, watching him. Part of him wanted to shut up and shy away from her gaze. He was used to doing that now, but he knew he couldn’t. He owed her this. “I’ve been an ass.” He paused as she hmphed at his words. He couldn’t help the smile that itched its way onto his lips, but she was still watching him so intensely it soon faded away. 

“Why are you only just deciding to talk to me?” She asked him when he didn’t continue. “Because I’m a crying mess?” 

Bucky laughed but sound came out harsh. “I’ll admit that it’s a part of the reason. I didn’t mean to be like it. I never meant to be annoyed at you. I was annoyed at Steve.” She raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything, so he continued. “It was like he was bringing me a babysitter. It sounds stupid, I know, but I’m used to it being me having to look after him, not the other way around.” 

She softened a little, listening to his voice. It sounded like Steve hadn’t told either of them what they were really getting into, and it made her more sympathetic to him. Bucky noticed her gaze become more gentle. He sat down in the water, joining her at eye level. 

She couldn’t figure him out, but maybe he wasn’t one to be figured out. Maybe he was simply lonely like she was, and he’d realised that she could be the end of that, at least for a while. 

“Does this mean we can be friends?” Her voice came out squeaky and she realised she sounded like a little kid on their first day of nursery trying to find someone to play with. But Bucky didn’t seem to mind.

“Yeah, of course.” He looked at her with sympathy, and for the first time ever, she didn’t mind being pitied. This pity felt sweet and she didn’t try and stop the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. 

They both got up out of the water and walked back to their huts, their soaking wet gear dripping onto the grass. They were quiet, but it was a new, comfortable silence. 

“Goodnight, Y/N.” Bucky said. There was a glint of something in his eyes that she couldn’t place. 

“Goodnight.” She replied. 

This time, when she replied to Steve’s nightly text message, she felt like she was finally being honest when she told him she was fine.


	3. Chapter 3

“Get up.” Bucky was standing directly over her, a small smirk playing on his lips as she groaned and rolled over in her bed.

“What the fuck? What time is it?” Her voice came out hoarse and sleepy, forcing Bucky to force his laugh down. She opened her eyes and looked at him properly. His hair fell over his face as he looked down at her. His eyes, which were fixed on hers, had a playful glint in them which was only emphasised by his shaking shoulders that he was trying to suppress. She threw a pillow at his head which of course he caught before it could actually hit his head.

“It’s 6 in the morning, it’s not that ungodly.” He threw the pillow back and it hit her lightly on the head. “Be up in half an hour, we’ve got stuff to do.”

Bucky loved the morning. To him it was when the world was most beautiful. The sunlight in the west casting a shadow on the green grass, with the light bouncing off of the dew. He could hear the animals waking up. The glare from the lake almost blinded him, but he also couldn’t seem to look away.

She emerged from her cabin, pulling a cardigan over her bare, cold shoulders. She could see Bucky’s silhouette in the pale light. He turned as he heard her footsteps in the grass approaching him. She yawn and stretched as they both stood in silence for a minute as the sun made its way upwards. Bucky tried not to, but he couldn’t help watching her. Despite her tiredness, she couldn’t help but be amazed, and her face gave away all of her emotions.

She knew she was terrible at hiding things, she always had been, but Bucky liked that. She wasn’t hard to figure out. It made life a hell of a lot easier. The way she looked at the world in that moment was pure and unfiltered as any of her emotions and yet it was also so much more.

“Is this why you woke me up, for this?” She whispered, not daring for her voice to be louder, as though it might scare away everything around her.

“Not exactly.” Bucky whispered back, following her lead. “You’ve been here for a while now, and I’m thinking maybe you might need to find, y’know, a job or a hobby or something?”

“I thought you were my job?” She quipped back, her voice no longer a whisper, but still quiet.

He hesitated for a minute. She could hear the smile in his voice when he finally answered. “I’m a part of it, but I’m not the most interesting thing going on around here and you need more than just watching my every movement and your books to keep you occupied.”

She hated to admit that he was right. Whilst Wakanda was still more interesting than home, she found herself wondering what to do most days. Although she and Bucky had finally begun a friendship, she could feel herself annoying him when she was bored and following him around with no real aim. Her books were fine and she’d call home and even Steve would call her occasionally, but she didn’t know what to do with all of the hours in the day.

“Alright, fine.” She sighed. “What did you have in mind?” At this, Bucky finally smiled, a real smile with teeth and everything that made her smile back despite herself. He didn’t say anything but started to make his way through the grass, knowing that she will follow behind him.

They made their way into the field where the goat stood, grazing and eating grass.

“I thought that this was your job?” She giggled and Bucky rolled his eyes. One of the goats came over to her, its head nudging against her legs letting her absentmindedly stroking its soft head.

“Well she likes you, so I was thinking maybe it could be yours? At least in the morning whilst I’m still going to my sessions.” Bucky shrugged, wandering around the field and checking on each of the goats individually.

“Do they have names?” Bucky cocked an eyebrow up at her question, “The goats.” He continued to look at her with his puzzled expression. “Oh c’mon Bucky, you’ve been looking after them forever, have you seriously not named any of them?”

“No.” He looked down to her hand where the goat was now sitting contently getting its head scratched. “You could name them if you want, if you wanna do this.”

“As sweet as they are, I don’t really see myself as much of a goat herder.” She shrugged. “What else were you thinking?”

“Maybe fishing?” Bucky sighed, scratching his head. “Or I don’t really know that’s all I do-“

“Well if it isn’t my favourite white boy and his companion.” Shuri strode up behind the two of them, making them jump. She was dressed down in sweatpants and a t-shirt. “Why are you forcing Y/N to talk to your only friends, Barnes?”

“Haha very funny.” Bucky glared at Shuri as Y/N tried to hide her silent laughter, much as Bucky had earlier that morning. “We’re trying to find something for her to do around her rather than just watch over me.”

“Perhaps he would be interested in something more civilised?” Shuri turned to her. “I always need help in my lab, assuming you’re interested?”

“What kind of help?” She asked. She wasn’t particularly technological, but she could certainly get by.

“Keep track of data for trials and such, making sure all of my stuff is updated, that sort of thing- don’t worry I won’t have you playing with any vibranium.”

“I think I could handle that.” She nodded, glancing to Bucky out of the corner of her eye. He nodded.

“It sounds like a good idea to me.” He said. She looked excited, a small bounce in her step as she followed Shuri towards the palace. He knew there was absolutely no stopping her.


End file.
